West 32nd Avenue runs through the heart of Denver's Highland neighborhood, and today holds a string of eateries well-suited to the residential zone it has become to the west. But in 2012, Tommy Lee dropped an umami bomb on the east end of the street in what's become known as LoHi — a hip moniker coined by and for the young and fashionable set who now pack the shoebox noodle house nightly.

Choosing a favorite restaurant on Havana Street is like picking a favorite child — we love all the diverse ethnic eateries here — but Katsu Ramen is a standout, because the metro area's ramen scene is hotter than sriracha and cooler than mochi ice cream right now.

This is how you know that Root Down is still the best restaurant at Denver International Airport: You're willing to 1) ride the train from wherever you are at the airport to Concourse C; 2) stand in line for a seat once you get there; and 3) resist rushing through your Thai carrot-curry soup or mole-drenched breakfast burrito, even if it means a mad dash back to your gate for boarding.

There's a lot happening at Denver International Airport these days, but the most mouthwatering partnership is the one between Root Down and Vert Kitchen, which is now augmenting the premium sit-down menu with three daily grab-and-go salads — tuna power, sesame tofu and kale Caesar — for travelers in a hurry.

Toasted Cheez-It and Goldfish mac and cheese, adult milkshakes, deep-fried Oreos with Nutella? Troy Guard might've had the munchies when he came up with TAG Burger Bar's playfully innovative menu, a gluttonous ode to our childhood.

Domo is more than just a restaurant. It's a museum, an experience in Japanese culture, built to look like a country house with a traditional Nippon Kan aikido dojo on the side and a garden out back. And what a garden: This is an ideal urban oasis, with wood-stump tables...

A great rooftop bar doesn't require a great view of the mountains. At Ignite, you do glimpse the mountains (until taller buildings go up in the Platte Valley) and see some of the city skyline, but the real draw is the space itself: It's half-enclosed, half open-air, ready for any season.

You don't have to have a pup in tow to enjoy Denver Beer Co.'s pooch-friendly patio. No matter when you visit this Platte Street brewery, you'll find dogs lounging under picnic tables and bar stools, waiting for a stranger to give a good scratch.

In a sector dominated by wraps, bowls and burritos, Chop Shop Casual Urban Eatery feels more fine-dining than fast-casual, with tables and booths crafted of wide-plank barn wood and reclaimed fences, batched cocktails and a globally inspired menu of entrees, salads and sandwiches.

Restaurateur Frank Bonanno has built his reputation on singular dishes — like the lobster macaroni and cheese at his flagship eatery, Mizuna — and fine-dining experiences that strike a balance of fun and elegance.

Mac and cheese is one of those contentious foods: Purists believe the focus should be solely on the noodles and the cheese, while gastronauts like it gussied up with lobster, bacon and all the fixings.

A decade ago, a mom whose two-year-old son suffered from a rare autoimmune disorder started dipping local potatoes in coconut oil and kettle-cooking them in her Crested Butte kitchen to create a healthy snack.

North County, named for the San Diego region famous for fish tacos and other Baja-style beach eats, opened at the end of 2014 in Lowry, where it offers fresh and satisfying seafood and deeply flavored slow-cooked meats, along with an impressive tequila list and bottled boozy sodas made in-house.

Jimmy's has the kind of menu that makes you think either "hell, yes" or "hot mess." A little too ambitious for straight-up bar-food fans and with an international streak that could spell disaster, Jimmy's somehow manages to keep it all together and put out clever yet satisfying twists on drinking fare.

Technically, the Plimoth's cauliflower turnip gratinée is a side — so you'll want to order several and make a night of it, because this vegetarian dish is as delicious as any of the meatier entrees on the menu at this charming neighborhood spot.

The best meatball in town doesn't come on top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese. Rather, it comes in a cast-iron skillet, which is delivered by the servers at Acorn with the warning to be careful, this is hot.

If you're going to cure meats for two restaurants, you might as well build your own curing facility — which is exactly what Colt & Gray owner-executive chef Nelson Perkins did when he decided to expand Colt & Gray.

Chef/restaurateur Mary Nguyen came to prominence with her elegant interpretations of Vietnamese cuisine, but her love of European cafe culture prompted her to open Olive & Finch, an all-day market serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual, bustling atmosphere that encourages lingering and neighborly exchanges.

Back in 2011, chef-owner Ryan Leinonen transformed a hundred-year-old Ballpark-neighborhood pawn shop into a glossy but approachable modern Scandinavian restaurant that rapidly became known for its Swedish-, Norwegian- and Finnish-influenced-menu, which pays special attention to smoked and brined fish and smorgasbord appetizers.

Boone's Tavern, a favorite in the University of Denver neighborhood, underwent some changes last year when part of the space was walled off and turned into the more upscale Atticus and the rest of the bar was given an upgrade over its old working-class, sports-bar vibe.

Fish and chips isn't the national dish, or even the city's addiction. That might change, however, if every man, woman and child residing at 5,280 feet above sea level could get their hands on the fish and chips at Argyll Whisky Beer.

Folks are picky about their bagels, and Rosenberg's owner Josh Pollack has gone beyond the call of duty in his attempt to re-create one of New York's most iconic foods, going so far as to replicate New York City water in his Five Points kitchen.

The best seafood restaurants are often shacks on the beach, with sea breezes blowing in and tables oriented to catch the rosy hues of the setting sun. But we're in Denver, remember? Owners Beth Gruitch and Jennifer Jasinski used this fact to their advantage, taking our distance from the coasts...

The Boulder and LoDo locations of Jax Fish House have been premier destinations for impeccably fresh seafood and well-shucked oysters since they opened in the mid-1990s, but the newest member of the metro-area Jax family, which opened in Glendale's CitySet development in 2013, stepped up the game with more space, a second bar upstairs and a clean, modern vibe that pairs perfectly with raw-bar offerings.

The multiple menus at this eatery adorned with live tanks assure you that there's something here for almost every taste — all of it prepared with skill and an eye to tradition and served by some of the friendliest waitstaff in town.

Viet's owner Hiep Thai comes from a restaurant family — and it shows in the quality of each dish on the extensive menu, ranging from simple rice or noodle combos with grilled beef or chicken to elaborate hot pots brimming with all manner of meat, fish and fowl.

What started out as an obscure ethnic eatery tucked into the back of a Westminster strip mall has morphed into a minor Denver phenomenon since owner Joseph Kim added a second location on Colorado Boulevard, close to the heart of the city.

Walking into Ace Eat Serve, you'll notice two things: Everyone is having a great time, either sampling Asian-inspired finger food or scampering around the ping-pong tables in the back room, and every table is topped with a condiment caddie sporting jars of sludgy chile oil.

There's no printed menu at this cute Ethiopian eatery decorated with palm fronds, bamboo and rough-hewn furniture and attached to an Aurora market, but there are only two Ethiopian words you need to know: tibs and kitfo.

Big, hearty dishes of simply prepared Germanic and Slavic dishes are the name of the game at Golden Europe, the Czech-run Arvada favorite that's been serving up schnitzel, wurst and cabbage for more than twenty years.

Panzano may be located in the Hotel Monaco, but this is not your usual hotel restaurant. Unless, that is, your usual hotel restaurant happens to be in northern Italy. The motto of chef Elise Wiggins and her team at Panzano is Chi mangia bene, viva bene — "Those who eat...

Finding a Mexican joint that specializes in a certain style of meat or regional specialty is often the best bet when hunting for hidden treasures; the perfect tacos al pastor and the most mouthwatering barbacoa are seldom found in the same place.

Adelitas Cocina y Cantina, a comfortable neighborhood spot that opened in May 2013 on South Broadway, blew us away last year with its house margarita, and the best got even better this year, when owner Brian Rossi switched out his house tequila.

Yes, you know that Work & Class is incredibly hip, with very long lines. Take advantage of the $5 wait drink and you might care a little less about waiting — especially when you know that the town's best vegetarian green chile awaits.

There's plenty of breakfast-burrito competition in what we've come to regard as the Burrito Triangle of Denver: In the 2500 block of Federal Boulevard, an expanded Santiago's faces off against Jack-n-Grill; both open early and do a big business in breakfast burritos. But right around the corner, Araujo's blows them...

We started following doughnut-makers Josh Schwab and Ben Hafdahl long before they opened this hip storefront on Leetsdale last year, with green counters and music so loud that the place could be mistaken for a bar.

Thanks to his work at Fruition and the love heaped on him by local and national press, Alex Seidel was already a household name — at least among food-lovers — when Mercantile Dining & Provision opened in Union Station last September. Lonne Cunningham, his pastry chef, was not.

Nothing jump-starts productivity quicker than the combination of coffee and condensed milk. For those in search of the perfect iced coffee, all roads lead to Vinh Xuong Bakery in the Alameda Square Shopping Center.

Even though Denver is awash in coffee shops, a visit to this Huckleberry Roasters can be a stirring experience. The small cafe — the second Roasters location — opened last year in the front of a reclaimed shipping-container building on Larimer Street.

Since this is the only dish on the Beatrice & Woodsley menu with no description whatsoever, you wouldn't blink if the kitchen actually did serve up monkey brains for brunch, given the restaurant's inclination to surprise customers with interesting combinations and its penchant for storytelling.

It's no fluke that Providence Tavern's address and its phone number both end in 5280, because brunch here epitomizes everything that's right about Mile High dining: cheap drinks, amazing Benedicts, a view of the game from every seat in the house...and no waits.

A Boulder institution since the mid-'90s, the Buff finally admitted it had outgrown its original location last year and moved up the block, adding 700 square feet of space and some much-needed parking.

Best-known as a raucous spot for watching the Blackhawks or for legit Chicago-style deep-dish (cornmeal crust and all), Wyman's No. 5 scores on football Sundays with its Bloody Mary garnished with a White Castle slider.

Happy hour is a beautiful thing. And nothing goes better with happy hour than sliders, which are filling but not too filling, with just enough protein and carbs to cushion the alcohol without ruining your dinner.

Open since 1966 in a part of the north side barely hanging on to its working-class roots in the face of gentrification, the pink-painted Rosa Mia Inn sits across from Lakeside Amusement Park and is almost as much of an institution.

It's not every day that an afternoon happy hour can challenge your culinary boundaries — but Leña does just that every weekday from 4 to 6 p.m., by hopping the border past Mexico and well into Central and South America.

Happy hours in Denver are plentiful. To help Denverites get even happier, Tony P's Highland location changed the rules of the game and extended its happy hour to a "happier hour," offering discounted drinks and food every day, twice a day.

Over the years, we've presented Frank Bonanno's flagship restaurant awards for everything from Best Fried Calves' Glands to Best Service to Best Dinner, Period. You'd think the Mizuna crew would be all about preserving the status quo by now.

From emerging regions such as Lazio and the Languedoc to little-known indigenous grapes like Ruché and Romorantin to sparkling reds and the savoriest sherries, the Source's island bar may be the coolest place at which to explore the world of wine right now — which shouldn't come as any surprise to fans of the Proper Pour, a liquor store just steps away.

Former Future had a bumpy landing when it opened in February 2014, running out of beer immediately and limiting its hours. But the brewery, helmed by the adorable James and Sarah Howat, has soared ever since.

When Joyride Brewing opened last summer, it came at the expense of Edgewater's most recognizable piece of ambience: a mural depicting the tiny burg's history on the edge of Sloan's Lake Park. But the change was worth it. The brewery renovated and opened up a prime corner spot, providing a...

Sure, there are lots of great bars in Denver, but how many of them distill all the spirits that they stir and shake? Duck into a tiny passageway off Golden's main drag and you'll slip into a place that does: the cozy, Prohibition-era Golden Moon Speakeasy.

After decades of operating bars and restaurants in Grand County, Mike Ayre and Charles Wessels had gotten out of the business — but then they found a spot in Denver that was just too good to refuse, in the heart of Five Points, a part of town that was once jumping with joints.

Over the years, halfhearted attempts have been made to open bars and restaurants inside Union Station, but it took a massive overhaul of the building, including the addition of a high-end hotel, to turn the historic train station into a destination dining area.

When Delores Tronco and Tony Maciag took a chance on a shipping-container development in the Ballpark/RiNo neighborhood for the home of their new restaurant, the area was trending in the right direction — but its success wasn't yet a fait accompli. Work & Class, with its feel-good combination of craveable...

Tucked into an east Boulder shopping center in an old building that was once the cafeteria for Ball Aerospace, Blackbelly doesn’t look like much from the outside, but step inside and two features immediately stand out: the gleaming stainless-steel and white-tile butcher shop up front, and the wide-open chef’s counter...

Every neighborhood needs a welcoming, relaxed, romantic little wine bar like the Village Cork, which was renovated last year but kept its original wine-bar ambience, which has drawn fans for fourteen years. Wine snobbery isn’t on the menu here; instead, the staff is friendly, easygoing and knowledgeable, eager to walk...